The Boards [Saturday afternoon]

[texted3times]

A masked man was lurking in the shadows of the theatre (as masked men often do). He waited until he was certain that other man had left, then began exploring backstage.

Strange...there didn't seem to be a giant chandelier hanging over the audience in this theater. How irritating.

Christine also wasn't here. It would be so much more difficult to sing creepy duets without her.

Eric Erik whirled on his heel and slid back into the darkness, biding his time.

They would be pay. Oh yes, they would all pay.

Whoever they were.

[OOC: Anyone want to meet the Phantom of the Opera?]

Comments

[fates_jaye]

When the clerk she knew at JGOB didn't seem to be the clerk at JGOB anymore, Jaye kind of figured it was one of those weekends again, which meant she got her camera and was going to be looking for reasons to use it. It was a time honored tradition.

It was also really the only reason she had to go into the Boards, calling, "Hello? Everyone normal in here?"

[texted3times]

Was it Christine? It might be Christine!

...it didn't sound like Christine, but the Phantom wasn't that picky.

"Come to me, angel of music--" he sang from the shadows.

So no, Jaye. It wasn't normal in here.

[fates_jaye]

Yeeeeah.

"No angels here," Jaye called. "Just us... investigative photojournalists."

[texted3times]

That wasn't how a duet was supposed to go!

He seethed broodily (he did that a lot) and moved closer. She might catch a flash of cape and mask as he moved behind the curtains.

"Come to me, angel of music--"

Louder because maybe she hadn't heard the first time?

[fates_jaye]

So this was kinda creepy, Jaye decided, and took a step back towards the door. "I'm sure you're talking to someone else, because I have somewhere else to be? Lost track of time, you know how these things go."

[texted3times]

Well, hopefully the philharmonic would oblige him with some crashing chords since it was becoming obvious he would be singing this duet all by himself.

It was so hard being a disfigured guy who haunted a theatre.

"Sing once again with me
Our strange duet
My power over you
Grows stronger yet.
And though you turn from me--"

Probably to wonder about calling the cops--

"--to glance behind
The phantom of the opera is there
Inside your mind..."

And out Erik strode in his be-masked and be-cloaked glory.

[fates_jaye]

Uh.

Jaye raised her camera and snapped a picture.

At the very least, it would be entered as Exhibit A.

[texted3times]

Erik reached out to grab Jaye's elbow and head for the sewers where a romantic boat ride would await them!

Didn't everyone want a boat ride through the sewers? Didn't they?

"Those who have seen my face
Draw back in fear
You are the mask I wear--
It's me they hear..."

Best boyfriend material ever, y/y?

[fates_jaye]

"Hey, hey, personal space here, bucko," Jaye told him, trying to get her elbow back.

[texted3times]

The Phantom didn't believe in personal space, person who was going to have to deal with being Christine today!

"My spirit and your voice in one combined
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside your mind!"

He led her out of the the boards and to the nearest sewer grate.

"Sing for me, angel of music!" he commanded. In song. Because that's how he rolled.

[fates_jaye]

How about if she just yelled "HELP! COOOOOOPS!" really loudly back?

[texted3times]

Well, hopefully the crashing bass chords (that he could hear, anyway) would just drown that out.

Dammit, sewers were much easier to get into where he was from.

He finally got the stupid cover off and gave her a (totally romantic, really) shove down into the sewer.

[fates_jaye]

So when Jaye first left her apartment today, she really, really didn't think she was going to spend any time at all in a sewer.

And yet.

"Do you know how unsanitary this is?"

[texted3times]

Well, when you had a terribly disfigured face in his time period, your choices of housing were limited, all right?

Especially if you also wanted to be close enough to terrorize a theatre.

He ignored her.

"Night time sharpens,
heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses--" he sang, leading toward a boat that thankfully existed down here.

Don't ask why it did.

"Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night--"

Or the midafternoon. Shh.

[fates_jaye]

"It's not even nighttime," Jaye bitched. "Check a clock!"

[texted3times]

Again, the Phantom ignored her, choosing instead to continue singing as he got her into the boat and began paddling:

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you live as you've never lived before--"

With him. In the sewers. As you do.

[fates_jaye]

"You know what happens when I close my eyes? I smell the sewer even more," Jaye said, adding a muttered, "Dumbass."

[texted3times]

He didn't even notice any more!

Probably not a plus.

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night--" he sang.

It was an amazing offer, person who wasn't Christine! Give in to it!

[fates_jaye]

"If this is all supposed to be a come-on, I can guess why you're single," Jaye replied.

[texted3times]

Wait until she saw his place! It had to be around here somewhere...

"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me," he crooned.

"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night--"

Or midafternoon.

[fates_jaye]

"...This is the weirdest song," Jaye realized. "Also no. To all of it."

[texted3times]

"You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night!" he cried as he came to the end of the song...and realized there was no charming-in-a-creepy-way home to take this not Christine to.

Awkward.

He stopped rowing and looked as embarrassed as a brooding man with a mask and a cape could.

[fates_jaye]

Jaye waited a minute, folding her arms and expecting something else.

"Now what?" she asked.

[texted3times]

More awkward silence.

Finally he began rowing the boat back to where they'd come in.

Shut up, all right? JUST SHUT UP.

[fates_jaye]

Oh, Jaye noticed what was up here.

"Worst kidnapping date ever," she grumbled.

[texted3times]

He didn't know what came after this, all right?!

Where was a chandelier to drop on people and make a hasty escape when you needed one. God.

He rowed faster.

[fates_jaye]

"Don't have anything to say now, huh? No more creepy songs to sing since I'm pretty sure this is now an unkidnapping?" she asked.

Don't harass the Phantom, Jaye.

[texted3times]

"We must return to be sure no one is ruining my theatre," he declared haughtily.

Riiiiight.

[fates_jaye]

"Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure," she said, drawing that out to the point of obnoxiousness.

In her defense, kidnapping. And sewers.

[texted3times]

Normally there were candles! Stupid non-photogenic sewer...

"We're here. Get out," he said.

Romantic!

[fates_jaye]

Jaye got out, and said, "I'm totally calling the cops. Before or after the seven showers remains to be seen."

Because ugh, so gross.

[texted3times]

"Let them come!" the Phantom replied. "They will never find me!"

Unless they looked in the sewers. Or the theatre.

[fates_jaye]

"Right, of course," Jaye said, turning to head out of the damn sewer, jeez. "See you at the arraignment!"

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi was looking for Jonothon. And in the interim, um. Redecorating.

Look, you get bored, you have access to paint, fabric... scissors. Lace. Other stuff, you wonder why no one's worked on those curtains in a while, things happen. Wonderful things. (http://s4.hubimg.com/u/1131667_f1024.jpg)

[stage curtains vandalized/re-decorated with permission of theater owner, OOC! Jono may be a bit more stunned.]